Oops, my bad. 
Thanks
Yes, people will complain about free stuff, we’ve seen it here and you’ll not see me defend them. I never said to not take cost into business decisions, if I alluded to this then I did not mean to. I just have a different take than others as I have almost always worked for large companies that software costs are NOT the big ticket items, again users are all different.
Agree to disagree good sir
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I Agree completely with Nick and all the ketchup communities that grew from the first versions of Sketchup FREE versions FREE plug-ins (even if some are so good that I am willing to pay)
Sketchup 2019 is nothing more than Sketchup 2018 + a bill.
The google goal has been lost since Trimble ones Sketchup.
No more new powerfull functions BUT SIMPLE that where the key to success, no speed or bug corrections, terrible support, google maps replaced by a bad satellite and geographic tool…
And can cary on on and on…
The community might disappear, Buyers to.
I realy hope tha skecthup developement team wil react, and invite all sketchup users to request that trimble changes it’s business plans : Better have plenty users paying a litte amount for a license than very little users paying an expensive amout.
THIS WAS AND IS THE CORRECT BUISINESS PLAN.
I hope the trimble reads these messages and will at least reply to “our” request
I think online version is a complete utter miss. Something that the HR department industrious mind would come up with. As far as the cost is concerned what other ‘free’ software your students chose to use besides blender? I must say that SK without plugins is pretty much unusable. I, too, have introduced design students to the 3D digital world with SketchUp. In addition to physical modelling that they executed in the wood and metal shop, they have used SK for 3d printing and laser cutting as well as checking the accuracy of their design. Trimble or previously Google was lucky that SketchUp userbase is large and generous despite few expensive plugin solutions.
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Blender and SketchUp do not compare. Two different animals, thus it would be unfair primarily to SK. However modeling in Blender - once you grasp, is extremely efficient and intuitive especially polygonal modeling. Blender has free and paid plugins (similar range to SK plugins) that make it a killer in comparison to Maya, StudioMax or Cinema 4D
Yes its certainly catching up with overpriced Autodesk (Alias). There are many people now using Blender at Volvo and I know several other well known OEM’s using it as a main tool.
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And yet SketchUp is
Seems a fair comparison to me and a few others here.
Intuitive absolutely. Efficient not so much, I beg to differ here. Let’s just say that holes (2-5mm) in the closed geometry for which you need 2-3 plugins to repair plus a hand repair or even remake the whole form does not count in as friendly and efficient.
LOL, OK have a good day.
It’s literally true: For the first time since 2014, I’m not teaching SketchUp at my usual gig. I was scheduled to, but shortly after telling me I had to teach it remotely (not too bad, as I’ve already been recording video lessons in previous years), I was then told, never mind, we’re canceling the spring after school classes. Now I’m told we’re not coming back for next fall either, so that may be the end of it there. I did an intro to SketchUp webinar for my maker space, but I think they may be gravitating more toward Blender. I’m just reporting what’s happened around me.
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Hello, same here, we used Sketchup because it did not create any segregation among the students. For years it has been the tool we used in the architectural basic design studio, but now, we are switching to Blender. The problem with Sketchup Make 2017 is: I cannot teach students something that lacks any support and might not be there in a year! So, Blender it is for now.
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Interesting though I think “might not be there in a year” is an exaggeration. Blender for basic design studio seems like a steep learning curve when you’re not teaching computer science but design (half joke). What about pencils and markers?
Not trying to be argumentative but “lacks any support” doesn’t seem fair either. We see SketchUp team members addressing issues on this forum daily, not to mention real help from other users.
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I agree with this. It’s a shame that Make 17 has not been upgraded but it still works for now and is FAR easier to grasp than Blender, imo.
You me if they had of fixed the bugs never mind upgrading?
Thank you so much for this… You have articulated exactly what the problem is here… a poor business decision. Can you suggest another software for a very basic Sketchup user (all be it for over 10 years) that would be easily transitioned to…
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And crickets…
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@BillHebner1, @Jim-Tzu
It may be unlikely that seanoskea will be replying as he may have not only stopped teaching SU as he indicated in his OP would be the case, but perhaps he has stopped coming to this forum also. He’s not been “seen,” according to his profile, since September of 2019 - just a short couple of months after that OP.
It is what it is. I absolutely wish I was talented enough to actually teach SketchUp much less be in the position to switch curriculum of the students I would be teaching. But 2 years later the SketchUp business model keeps growing and those of us that appreciate the tool for what it is and where & how it continues to grow to improve it’s product to those of us who absolutely love it should be a indication that the product is going int he right direction. For those that post topics like this? To me it’s just sour grapes. But that’s my opinion and it’s worth exactly what you paid for it…nothing…
Funny you expected a response two years after my post. I’ve come back to the forum to make another plea. In answer to your question, SketchUp has completely disappeared from my institution. I think there are a few copies of 17 floating around on a few office computers but the students and I have completely switched to Blender as many of the people who posted above have also done. But I’ll give you this, you’re right…there isn’t an easier tool for beginners that’s why I taught it for so long. There is no question that Blender or all the big corporation tools have FAR more power and features than a plug-in packed copy of Pro ever did. But nothing ever came close to the simple joy of that first day with a bunch of freshman and Sketchup. I teach undergrads at a very underfunded state school with a lot of low income students. My worry has never been for the students who know they want to be designers, they are motivated to learn the more powerful tools because they see what they can do. Its the students who don’t know what they want to do who could get their hands on a copy of SU17 and really discover that they had a passion for design. Now those shy students are overwhelmed when I try to teach them VectorWorks or Blender, and just say, “this is too hard,” and give it up. I’ve lost them. The world has lost their talents. But Trimble thinks its better that they get $55 bucks out of these kids that are using food banks then offer this terrific tool to a new generation of designers. I can’t even teach it if I wanted to, as my dean know that all the other tools are free and “industry standard” and won’t pay for the lab licenses. $1500 annually is huge to a small public school crushed under budget cuts. Ironically, my boss is making the same decision the students are: Free vs. $1500 or Free vs $55. So yeah, you’re right, there is no other tool. Shaper3D is almost there (and they are a tiny Hungarian company who, ironically, give free ed-licenses) but unfortunately their Layout equivalent only works in metric and us dumb Americans are still stuck in the 19th Century with Imperial. And BTW 3D Coat is still offering free ed-licences and their country has been invaded for half a year. So I’m sorry if you think my desire to teach underprivileged students this great tool owned by a company that doesn’t even mention it on their homepage, is “sour grapes.”
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Do you realize that the post you are reacting to is a year old?
So we are the old people now? Nobody young are working with Sketchup? That’s horrible. I thought I was on the cool team.
I´m surely the one in my university town that knows the most about using sketchup as an all day activity. Nobody asked me to teach that. I never ever hear students discuss Sketchup.
That sketchup costs more than Autocad or Revit for a student is, well, , not good.
SU with Layout is slowly/maybe creeping into being a proper disruptive alternative in the making. But the proof is in the pudding. If the team took the next year or two working solely on Layout efficiency and professional teamwork/workflow routines they might keep the train on its track long enough for this to be discovered. If you get discovered by the industry you get discovered by the students too. They’re all into pleasing their next boss.
The students being offered cheap/outdated versions as a business development strategi… ? Hard to find the right words.
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